As avid a gamer as I am, one genre that I have never been particularly good at is fighting games. Sure, I've spent my fair share of time with Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter II and Tekken, but the fighting game genre is one that I've never been able to get competitive in.

Until now. Maybe. Well, probably not, but maybe.

I've decided that over the next year, I'm going to spend some time trying to get better at fighting games. I've done my research, I've got my training tools together, and I'm ready to go.

Over on my Co-Op Critics gaming blog, I'll be posting weekly installments of my quest to become competent in virtual fisticuffs. I'm calling the series "Fists of Forty" (in honor of my recent birthday), and if you're at all interested in fighting games, I invite you to accompany me on my journey.

There are two installments of the series already up (here and here), and I'll be updating every week.

Years ago, Secret Identity made its 'con' debut at ConnectiCon 2006. Last year Brian and I made a return to ConnectiCon and reconnected with old friends. This year, ConnectiCon 2014 was the first show where Brian and I had a table and displayed as authors AND podcasters. And there wasn't a better show to do this at!

Thank you to Mathew Daigle who provided prime real estate for us to set up this year and give not only us, but everyone an incredible show in an amazing place (Connecticut Convention Center). Matt's staff including Leo Marinak and Kristen Benedict who made our time there incredibly enjoyable and would always check on us, making us free to 'do our thing!'

Seeing old friend like Aaron Wood, Sean Wang and Griffin Ess is always special, but making new friends; like the band Porcelain Clocks and everyone who came to my "Doctor Who 101' panel is an awesome way to spend a weekend.

The show, as usual was full some incredible costumes, heavy on 'Doctor Who' and 'Attack On Titan' with a nice dose of traditional superheroes, anime, manga and my favorite...Godzilla in a suit!

As far as interviews I did only one; an awesome chat with our new friend Noah Hathaway (Boxey from Battlestar Galactica). And i recorded my panel so you'll all get to hear what went on. The cool thing is that everyone was very happy with the panel and next year, expect Brian and I to be doing more of them ... and in the big rooms.

Guests, room to move and set up, support staff and comfortably made it easy for us to do what we needed to do. Thank you ConnectiCon 2014.

It is hard to believe we are now mere days from ConnectiCon 2014 and the excitement is mounting! If you are on the Facebook page you will see that everyone is getting excited, posting their plans and pictures of what they will be wearing. But ConnectiCon isn't just about costumes and cosplay... it's so much more. Expect everything!

Jam packed in the four days you'll be able to experience almost 700 different events including panels, meet and greets, gaming exhibitions and so much more.

As we get closer to the event you will need to check the website HOURLY for all the guests that will be announced and the announcement of even more events!

Way back in 2011, I reviewed an iOS game called SQUIDS, a turn-based RPG that combined solid mechanics, bite-sized missions and an undersea aesthetic designed to appeal to gamers of all ages. SQUIDS was a micro transaction supported game that struck a nice balance with its currency system, so you could actually progress without having to spend additional money if you didn’t want to. The Game Bakers also released a sequel called SQUIDS: Wild West, which was also well received.Fast forward to 2014, and developer The Game Bakers has brought SQUIDS to Nintendo’s 3DS and WiiU platforms. This new iteration is called SQUIDS: Odyssey, and it brings the first two games together and some additional content as well. There are no microtransactions this time around--the game is a $14.99 digital download from the eShop. I spent a good amount of time with the WiiU version this past weekend, and I’m really impressed with how well the game has been adapted for Nintendo’s console.

SQUIDS: Odyssey retains the same story and core gameplay from the original games. Players control a group of squids who are thrust into the role of both protectors and recruiters when their underwater home is threatened by a mysterious Black Ooze that corrupts undersea creatures, turning them evil. Players control a party of squids that consist of different classes--Scouts (speedy rogue), Shooters (ranged combat), Troopers (tanks) and Healers. As you unlock more characters in the game, you can swap them in and out of your party, and customize that party for each type of level you’re facing. In addition to customizing your party, you can level up your characters, as well as find and purchase gear that gives characters bonuses to certain stats.

Each bite-sized level features enemies that must be defeated and hazards that must be navigated. So in addition to making sure you have the right members in your party, you also have to make sure you’re using them strategically. You move the squids around each level by pulling back their legs and aiming them in a certain direction. There are obstacles littering each level, and some levels have area that you can actually fall off. So each turn is spent positioning your characters to not only defeat enemies, but support one another and navigate the level effectively.

What’s impressive to me about SQUIDS is that all of the systems in the game are well balanced and simple to understand. None of the systems I mentioned above ever feels overwhelming, and each time I failed to complete a level, I knew exactly what I did wrong. More impressively, the game has transitioned well from a microtransaction-based model to one in which all of the currency is unlocked through playing. Gear and upgrades are reasonable priced, and because you can go back and play any level you’ve beaten, you can always grind for more loot and currency before taking on more challenging levels.On the WiiU front, The Game Bakers have flawlessly adapted SQUIDS for the console. You can play with either button-based controls or touch controls on the GamePad, and at any time, you can switch the TV mode off and just play entirely on the GamePad. This game actually feels like it was made for the WiiU, and it uses the GamePad better than most of the games I’ve played on the console.All in all, SQUIDS: Odyssey is a great adaptation of the series that is perfectly at home on the WiiU. It’s a game you can play with your kids, or enjoy as an adult, and it’s got plenty of content for the $15 asking price. Definitely worth checking out. And if you need any hints or tips as you play through, the devs have put a complete strategy guide up on The Game Bakers website. You can check it out here.

Man, ConnectiCon has been compiling an all-star list of guests for this year's show, and when it comes to video game voice actors, they're bringing in the big guns.

Jennifer Hale is best known for her work as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series, although she has a long and illustrious career in voice acting. She's been in everything from Halo 4 (Sarah Palmer) to The Powerpuff Girls (Ms. Keane, Princess Morbucks). She's also known to children around the world as Disney's Cinderella.

Ellen McLain became a household name for her portrayal of GLaDOS in the Portal series, but she also appears in other Valve titles like Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. Ellen is also an opera singer and did voice work as a Jaeger AI in Pacific Rim.

If I'm lucky, I'll get a chance to chat with these two amazing actors for the podcast, as I've been enjoying their work in the games I play for years.

ConnectiCon is happening July 10-13th at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT. For more info as well as tickets, you can head over to www.connecticon.org.

And tune into the Secret Identity podcast next Friday, as we'll be featuring an interview with ConnectiCon's head honcho, Matt Daigle!

Our good friends over at Drive Thru RPG are celebrating their tenth anniversary!

For that last decade, Drive Thru RPG has been the place to find a wide variety of roleplaying games for just about every type of rules system under the sun. They've also played a huge role in giving gamers access to RPGs that have long been out of print, keeping some games alive that would have died out years ago.

So, if you'e a longtime gamer who wants to try something new, or a newbie looking to get into the hobby without breaking the bank, Drive Thru has you covered with their tenth anniversary sale. We at Secret Identity want to wish Drive Thru a happy anniversary, and thank them and all the Drive Thru sties that have supported Secret Identity for so long now.

If the Sunday I spent at the XL Center in Hartford CT was any indication, I’d say the inaugural year of Hartford Comic Con was a rousing success. I took my seven-year-old son with me down to the show, and we both had a blast. There was a great mix of comics, toys, games both on display and for sale to attendees. The atmosphere of the show as very family-friendly, and there was a healthy contingent of cosplayers there as well.Of course, we ran into a whole bunch of our creator friends, like Keith Gleason (Hero Envy, Swamp Tales), Matt Ryan (Free Lunch Comics), Tom Van Zandt (Unhappy Gran’Ma) and Sean Wang (Runners). Our pal John Cimino was there with his Saturday Morning Collectibles booth, and my son grabbed some great back issues from him. We also ran into our good friend and SI contributor Sarah Hodge Wetherbe, who was rockin’ an excellent Velma cosplay.

All in all, I think the first Hartford Comic Con had a great first year. Next year I’d like to see some more panels (maybe a podcasting panel?), and some more flexible pricing for kids (under 6 was free but kids over 6 had to pay adult price), but there was a lot of fun to be had this year and I will definitely be back again for year two.

by MatmanYou have heard Brian and I raving about our friends at Drive Thru Comics for a long time, but I have decided to take the plunge into (GULP) downloadable comics.I can vouch for the publishing side of Drive Thru (also including Fiction, RPG, Cards as well as Comics) as far as their professionalism, speed and quality of product. While I was putting together 'Comicopolypse', Matt McElroy who is the Director of Publishing and his entire staff did everything to ensure a quality book at a great price. No matter when I had a problem and no matter what it was, someone was there to help me with whatever it was I was crying about.Did you know you could get older episodes of Secret Identity at Drive Thru for free? With their hosting; Brian and I have been able to host not only our books, but episodes of Secret Identity that we have found out recently has given us a much larger listening base and we are so thankful of that. But last night I decided to download a comic, a free one called 'Achtung! Cthilhu' from Modiphius. The comic is based on the role playing game of the same name. Interesting that the books pages aren't drawn, but are photos of posed military figures in a battlefield setting. It was easy to download; just click on the book,go to checkout and then download the file to your computer. it is that easy! So check out everything that Drive Thru has to offer... because they offer a lot!www.drivethrucomics.com

DriveThruComics.com, the first digital comics retailer, announced today that it has teamed up with Rebellion and Mongoose to offer an amazing deal on Judge Dredd titles including comics, eBooks, and an RPG in support of the Hero Initiative charity.

"We're happy to have this chance to help out a great cause like Hero Initiative," said Matt M McElroy, Director of Publishing forDriveThruComics.com. "The Judge Dredd titles that Rebellion andMongoose have in this Bundle are a must-have for fans new and old."